


The Moon in Winter

by MorningLullabies



Category: InuYasha - A Feudal Fairy Tale
Genre: Alternate Universe - Arranged Marriage, Arranged Marriage, Drama & Romance, F/M, Marriage of Convenience
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-10-12
Updated: 2019-01-16
Packaged: 2019-01-16 09:59:19
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 11,322
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12340446
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MorningLullabies/pseuds/MorningLullabies
Summary: Higurashi Kagome is sold for her family's security to demon-kind's cold shogun equivalent, Sesshoumaru. They vow to only associate on state occasions. However, Kagome's indomitable will to survive in a world not made for humans entices him, as his need to be free of the restraints that come with power intrigue her.





	1. Chapter One

_“So, if you ever need a fool, who will give you a love so true, you can always find me where the skies are blue.” **–The Lumineers**_

 

\---

 

Kagome knew she shouldn’t have run. She should have stayed and faced her fate like the true daughter of a samurai. However, after such a conversation, she needed to feel the wind in her hair as she rode her horse through the woods surrounding her family’s home. She knew if she ran far enough and long enough, she could forget what her mother had told her.

 

She could forget that her father was dead, slain on the battlefield, and her brother was now the head of the Higurashi clan. She could forget the bargain made with her father’s enemy and murderer, in order to keep her family safe and to keep their ancestral homelands under her brother’s control. Her mother had sold her, like a piece of china or a length of cloth, in marriage. Once she had heard that this was to be her fate, she’d bolted. She headed to the only place she could feel truly herself. Once in the woods, surrounded by trees and the cool air, she slowed her mount.

 

It was in these woods her father had taught her to hunt with bow and arrow, and where she had discovered her priestess powers. Her standing as a princess of the Higurashi clan prevented her from dedicating her life to the protection of a shrine, but that didn’t stop her father from employing the help of an old woman named Kaede to hone her ability. She’d grown into a powerful archer and an even more powerful priestess under her father’s tutelage and her mentor, Kaede’s. Her father had told her she would be a great asset to her future husband, when she found one.

 

That was always how it was supposed to be. _She_ was supposed to find her own husband, and marry for love. No one was to choose for her. Her clan’s standing was small enough that she was allowed this one privilege in her sea of duties. Her father did not desire power, or alliances with great men, so he had no need to sell his daughter off in a bargain. While Kagome knew she would have to choose a man of some standing, another samurai or minor warlord, and provide heirs, she was comforted in the knowledge that it would be her own choice.

 

In fact, she had been preparing to tell her father she was ready to wed when he returned from battle. For years, since she was old enough to sneak out on her own into the forest, she’d been friends with a young man from a prominent Western family. He was a half demon, by the name of InuYasha, and though he made her angry more often than not with his coarse words and brash actions, she felt as though the sun rose when she saw his face, and set when she had to return to her family for the evening. She knew her father had nothing against demons, unlike some human lords. He felt they were an asset and could be powerful allies, if one watched how they associated with them and made sure not to breach any of their extremely formal customs. He also would have approved of InuYasha’s standing as the son of the concubine of one of the highest ranked demon warlords in the West. A half demon he may be, but he was the Inu no Taisho’s acknowledged son, and the favorite.

 

More importantly, he was not the heir. Kagome did not want to be a great lady. She wanted to be the wife of a minor player in the field of politics, happy to have her husband home by her side to love her and their children. InuYasha, of course, felt differently, and wished to be the heir to his father’s lands, and wished to see his mother acknowledged as an Honored Wife, and not as merely a concubine to the great dog demon. Unfortunately, one of the many customs dictated by demon society was that a human woman could not be the first wife of a lord of any standing.

 

Until her father had fallen on the battlefield, that is. Then, in order to keep the demon clan her father had taken up arms against to protect their meager land holdings from slaughtering her mother, her grandfather, her brother and herself, her mother had offered a truce. Her only daughter, a powerful priestess, and trained in the ways of samurai, in exchange for life, and for her family’s fealty to this lord. She hadn’t even stopped to learn her future husband’s name, or his family, before she had screamed at her mother in a decidedly unladylike manner and fled the castle grounds.

 

A tantrum would solve nothing, she knew. In order for this betrothal to even be considered far enough that her mother would tell her about it, many negotiations had to have gone on. The family of her future husband must have had approval from their demon allies to marry their heir to a human woman of no great standing. She knew her abilities as a priestess were probably the only reason her mother was not turned down flat out. She also had heard, as she ran from the main hall, the gossip that the lord she was to marry had come into his own title years before, and had flat refused every demon woman his mother had brought before him. He had, in fact, refused so many women the lords of the allied clans and his own mother were forcing him into this marriage.

 

Kagome had no idea if she was pleased her husband and captor would be as miserably unhappy as she was, or if she was offended that he did not find her a worthy bride. She decided on the former. If this was to be her fate, there should be some joy in it, even if it was joy in someone else’s misery. Besides that, perhaps if she tormented him enough, he’d send her home to her mother, and she could live apart from him, and never see him or have to touch him after their wedding night.

 

As she thought these things, the heavy weight she had been carrying on her shoulders lifted. She eased her horse into a canter, feeling slightly more upbeat. The only thing that would bring her down was breaking the news to InuYasha. She couldn’t do that just yet, though. She should at least return to her family and learn the name of her groom. Her lover deserved that much, at the very least. What kind of person would she be if she simply left him with “I must marry, and we can never see each other again.”?

 

She turned back towards home, intending to apologize to her mother and beg forgiveness for the way she had acted towards her elders. She also intended to tell her mother she wasn’t going to go into this marriage happily, or easily. If she could fight, she would seize the opportunity to do so. She knew her mother would expect no less. She also knew that in the end the resistance would do very little for her, besides allowing her a few freedoms before her wedding that would normally not be permitted to a bride-to-be. It would also give her more time to say goodbye to the man she truly loved.

 

As she looked up, and began to plan her requests in exchange for doing her filial duty, her eyes met those of InuYasha’s. A hard lump stuck in her throat when she saw how he looked at her. She knew he’d heard the news. She’d been hoping to tell him herself, soften the blow a bit, but news travels fast, especially among the common people. They loved their gossip, and they loved the thought of a fancy wedding, even that of a minor princess such as herself.

 

Kagome swallowed, and prepared herself for the storm she knew was coming. She wouldn’t have time to find out her groom’s name, nor would she have time to prepare him step by step for what she must do for her family. Her mouth opened to greet him, but instead the words she said were, “I’m so sorry. We had no other choice.”

 

“I know.” Even as he accepted his own fate, Kagome could tell InuYasha was angry, that he wanted to cut down trees with his claws and his demon magic, as she’d seen him do on countless occasions when he railed against his brother.

 

“I wish I could stay, but I must return to my family. I left them in a way that was extremely disrespectful to my mother and grandfather. In fact, I don’t even know who I’m marrying.” She’d smiled at him, hoping he’d find humor in her temper as he always had.

 

Instead he laughed. It was short and humorless, and reminded her of a dog’s bark, although she supposed that shouldn’t surprise her. He was half demon, after all, and she knew the demon clans weren’t entirely human in their behaviors. She knew she’d heard the eerie mewling of a fox demon kit several times during her hunts. It wasn’t quite like a real fox, but it was similar enough to make her hair stand on end, and to make her avoid the areas the sounds came from. What did surprise her, however, was what he said next, “You don’t need to ask your family who it is. I can tell you that. It’s my asshole half-brother.”

 

Kagome stilled. InuYasha’s half-brother? He was rumored to be ruthless, and cold. InuYasha described him using several colorful words on many occasions, as he thought his methods of ruling the Western demons harsh and cruel. He was also known to hate humans so much he killed them on sight.

 

As if reading her mind, InuYasha said, “Don’t worry. He wouldn’t kill you. He won’t like you, that’s for sure, but you’re bought and paid for, according to the town talk. He wouldn’t kill something he’s paid for.” The words were humorless, although spoken with a bitter smile.

 

“But, why would he take me?” She whispered, after several seconds of silence. Her clan was minor, at best. They had no resources to give, and no armies to lend to the demon lord’s causes. The reason they had survived on their small lands for so long is because the lands they held were only fertile enough to produce food for the people living there. Her family even farmed their own land, choosing not to take too much from their tenants, and while the things they had were finer than most, they certainly didn’t have much. Even the castle her family passed from generation to generation was small and run down.

 

“Damned if I know. I just know he agreed.” InuYasha’s ears flattened against his head in displeasure, “I think he thinks it’ll shut his mother up. She’s been harping on him for decades to get married and produce an heir. Sesshoumaru has no desire for offspring, and even less desire to take a wife. He probably figures he can marry you publicly then put you away, if his actions up to this point are anything to judge by. It also looks good for him that he didn’t completely obliterate your family after the battle, and is going to allow your brother to pledge fealty to him as one of his retainers. Sesshoumaru is kind of terrifying to most people, you know. His mom’s been trying to turn his image around for years, not that he gives a shit.”

 

Kagome blinked in disbelief. It was one thing to be _a_ demon’s bride, but it was entirely another to be _the_ demon’s bride, and Sesshoumaru was _the demon_ of the West. She had to get home. She had to tell her mother she wouldn’t, no that she _couldn’t,_ do this. Sacrificing her happiness for her family was acceptable, but if the rumors about InuYasha’s brother were true, she’d also be sacrificing her life. No matter how casually InuYasha could talk about him, as if he were harmless and just a big pain in the ass, she knew that wasn’t the case. Rumors started somehow, and more often than not, they were rooted in truth.

 

She dug her heels into her mare’s sides, kicking her into a gallop.

 

InuYasha yelled after her, but she was too panicked to hear. Her mother had to know she was sending her only daughter and her oldest child to her death at the hands of Japan’s most powerful demon lord.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello! I struggled a bit with this chapter, because I've a lot more plans after the two of them meet. Let's be honest, that part is just more interesting. So I apologize in advance. Also, I want to warn everyone reading this and expecting updates that I will be participating in NaNoWriMo. Updates may be scarce starting after this chapter, but I promise it has not been abandoned! Enjoy.

_“It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune, must be in want of a wife.”_ - **Jane Austen**

___ 

 

Kagome stood as if in a daze as the layers and layers of wedding kimono were draped over her. Unsure where her argument against this marriage went wrong, she could only accept her sale to a demon lord in stunned and furious silence. Her mother's ladies cooed over her, hoping to soothe her before the ceremony began.

 

_Fat chance,_ Kagome thought.

 

She'd rather gouge her eyeballs out with a set of splintery chopsticks than go through with this. She had told her mother as much, but was met with firm yet gentle opposition.

 

She was surprised she didn't receive a good smack for how she spoke to her lady mother, but then, her mother was never one to raise her hand in discipline. Of course, Kagome had never entered her mother's chambers in such a whirlwind of fury before, either. Instead of chastising her eldest daughter for her incredibly unladylike behavior, the Lady Higurashi had shooed her attendants out of the room before sitting down next to her. She lifted a comb from her nightstand and began to work through the tangled mess of hair caused by her sudden jaunt on horseback.

 

As she combed, her mother told her quietly and evenly that her father had succumbed to his wounds, leaving the original alliance with the great Lord Sesshoumaru unable to be fulfilled. The conditions offered by her father were that her brother and the clan heir be fostered among the dog demon clan, as many young lords were fostered with families outside their own to maintain peace or control between lands. Lord Sesshoumaru has accepted these conditions, but when Lord Higurashi’s wounds became infected and he died, it made Sota the new Lord, and her mother, though strong, did not want to rule in his stead and claimed she had no mind for it, anyhow. Thus, Sota could no longer be held in the demon clan’s care. They asked instead another assurance that the alliance would hold true, even under a new clan leader. That assurance was Kagome’s hand in marriage.

 

They were _demons_ she wanted to say in response, her hands clinched in her lap, listening to her mother’s soft explanation. Demons hated humans. They hated even half-demons, as she had so often heard from InuYasha, and half-demons were their own sons, daughters, and siblings. What were they going to do with one young human woman in their midst? If Kagome were not the daughter of samurai, she would admit to being scared out of her wits. If she were not the daughter of samurai, she would run away from this marriage and never look back. Yet, she was samurai. She had all the training, and the breeding, even if hers was only a minor province. As such, she would go through with this marriage, if only for her own sense of honor. She certainly wasn’t doing it for the peace of mind of the demon clan she was being sold to.

 

She would also do it for her father. He’d worked so hard to ensure their clan wasn’t wiped out after the result of the battle became clear. It was something he had always done. Never for power or glory did he fight, only for protection and duty. Her father had taught her how to fight for her own protection as well, and she supposed, if it came down to it, she could defend herself honorably against a clan of demons. She may not survive, but she wouldn’t back down and she wouldn’t be taken down easily. Her priestess powers would also help.

 

As she thought these things she found herself opening her mouth as she turned to her mother and bowed, saying, “It will be an honor to serve the clan, Lady Mother. However, I have some stipulations.”

 

Her mother half smiled, amused, “I figured as much. What “stipulations” are these, Kagome?”

 

Kagome knew her mother already knew, but she listed them anyways, “My bow goes with me, and I wish for Lady Kaede to be allowed to visit me at my husband’s home, as often as I’d like. My horse, too, will go with me. If I’m going to be sent away against my choice, I at least want what I enjoy easily available to me.”

 

“I believe that can be arranged. Kaede’s visits might take some convincing, but the dog demon clan is very eager for this union, despite what some think. It shouldn’t be too hard to get them to agree. Lord Sesshoumaru has said you should have anything you wish within reason, and I see no reason to refuse your teacher.”

 

“I don’t suppose not getting married is one of those ‘within reason’ requests,” Kagome grumbled to herself, as the bustle of ladies’ maids around her brought her back to the present.

 

“What was that, ma’am?” the young woman styling her hair asked.

 

“Oh. Nothing.”

 

“You’re very lucky, ma’am. I hear the Lord Sesshoumaru is quite handsome.” Kagome’s teeth gritted, at both the remark and at the tug on her hair as it was pulled back tightly.

 

She supposed that was true. Her mother could have married her off to some old lord with bad breath and no teeth. Lord Sesshoumaru was rumored to be not just handsome, but stunning by human standards. He was fairly handsome by demon standards, too, if what she had heard held any truth at all. He was rich, and powerful. He would keep her comfortable, healthy, and sheltered. Most women would think him a great catch. Kagome supposed lucky was a good word for it. Most women in her position (being the oldest daughter of a minor lord, that is) would probably have been given to the most trusted advisor of the family. That woman would then be required to produce heirs. As far as she knew, Lord Sesshoumaru hated half-demons as much as any other demon. His heirs would be gotten on concubines, and not her. She still doubted very much that he would even touch her. It was almost a blessing, and she could feel herself relax at the thought.

 

All she had to do was get through this wedding ceremony without making a fool of herself and her family. She was going to a home where she would have whatever she wanted “within reason.” Most women of the world barely had food and shelter. They lived in huts with dirt floors and did not have servants to dress them or cook for them. They did not have elaborate wedding ceremonies with fine silk kimono.

 

All of this, Kagome reminded herself of, while avoiding the thoughts she knew were sitting at the back of her mind about InuYasha.

 

InuYasha had met her by accident. He had looked so different from anyone Kagome had ever seen, due to his half-demon status, and she had been entranced. Then he’d opened his mouth, and swore at her. Kagome had grinned at him. No one ever dared to swear at the eldest daughter of Lord Higurashi. After that, they became fast friends. She met him at least once a week to hunt, ride, and talk. She told him of her upbringing and her dream to marry for love. He told her of his mother, his father’s status, and his exile from his family simply for being born. She taught him archery, and he taught her swordplay. He reacted with appropriate amazement to her priestess powers, instead of shying away. Then, confided in her he once had a good friend who was also a priestess.

 

Eventually, as she knew was bound to happen, she fell in love with him. She was often angered by his irrational outbursts and course manners, but she knew he cared. He brought her things, such as handmade arrow. She received gifts often, of course, from her father’s vassals and their tenants, but none of those had been made with the love she knew the arrows he made for her were.

 

Her heart ached as she realized she would never be able to accept a gift from him again. This new position would mean constant scrutiny, and she knew demons had a keen sense of smell. She couldn’t imagine how her new husband would react if he were to realize his human wife associated with the family outcast. Only unmarried young women could accept gifts from single men, anyway, so even if InuYasha wasn’t looked down upon by the dog demon clan it was improper. She wondered if there were a way she could communicate with him still. No one would begrudge her, in her quirky humanity, of trying to reach out to her half-brother-in-law, surely. They would think she didn’t understand, and would perhaps turn a blind eye. It was a small hope, but it was there. Nothing improper would happen, she told herself. She would simply be sending messages to her brother-in-law. The fact that she was in love with him, and had wanted to present him to her father as a potential suitor meant nothing. That part of her life was gone, and she would preserve as much of it as she could.

 

The lady’s maid finished her hair with several ornaments. Kagome’s head felt unnaturally heavy and off balance as she was assisted in rising to her feet. The many layered robes she wore restricted her movement, and forced her to shorten her long stride. The height of her shoes certainly didn’t help her walking any, either. Clothing such as this were about to become almost every day wear for her. Formal functions would require almost as many layers as her wedding kimono had. Not only that, her betrothed’s family wouldn’t find it sweet or endearing when she didn’t eat with perfect table manners, as her father’s vassals did. They also wouldn’t think her long rides through the wilderness appropriate. She knew she would have to fight for that second privilege. She both dreaded it, and anticipated it with excitement.

 

She planned to push the Lord Sesshoumaru’s decree that she have anything she wanted within reason to its limits. If she had to get married against her will, she was going to have fun with it. Besides, she’d be the second most powerful woman in the dog demon clan behind Sesshoumaru’s mother. Kagome intended to enjoy herself.

 

Taking a deep breath, she stepped through the front door of her family’s small palace, and stepped awkwardly into the waiting palanquin, trying not to destroy her hair or dirty her kimono. As they began to move towards her future, Kagome sincerely hoped for some resistance from her new family to her demands. Life was going to be extremely boring otherwise, and she couldn’t have that. No, she couldn’t have that at all.


	3. Chapter 3

* * *

 

_I can bear any pain, as long as it has meaning.-_ **Haruki Murakami**

* * *

 

“You know, Sesshoumaru, I understand she's quite lovely.”

Sesshoumaru’s mother barely looked up from the paperwork she held. Her estates needed tending, and he supposed she neglected them while slyly arranging this marriage. A marriage with a human, of all things. He'd expected an arranged marriage sooner rather than later-his reluctance to marry was known far and wide-but he also expected his mother to choose a high ranking demon princess. Some of the clans were restless and chafing at the dog demon’s rule over demon kind, and Sesshoumaru expected a political arrangement to keep the strongest of these clans satisfied that this was not a ruse to hold all the power for his family.

If Sesshoumaru had his way, it most certainly would be a game where the outcome was absolute power in his favor. Fortunately for the rest of the world, politics was a delicate balance. One he learned early on in life. He ranked highest because he was held in high esteem and others trusted his decisions to be the most intelligent. That image needed to be groomed and maintained or he would go back to fighting for some lord. Even if he were only one step below the highest ranking lord it was too low for Sesshoumaru- Not to mention the hellish wars caused by the division when no one person was in power.

He wondered vaguely if his marriage was taking his human bride from some political alliance amongst her own species. Or was she perhaps permitted to marry for love, being of a smaller clan with little to no influence? It mattered very little in the end, as they would be wed no matter what pre-contracts existed for either of them. Matrimony for his rank scarcely ever came with a choice, and if her life allowed something so trivial as love, she would soon learn her own harsh lesson as he had.

His mother's lilting voice broke him out of his musing as she continued to read her accounts, “Besides, my son, you can always take a concubine. Heavens know your father did.”

“Hn.”

She spoke nonchalantly but Sesshoumaru knew the topic was one she disliked. His mother's initial love for the Inu no Taisho was famous, as was his father's love for his human concubine. For demons, the first son of the first wife always became the heir of the family head. This was merely because powerful demons wanted other powerful demons to rule, and most concubines were almost always half demon or of lower rank and ability. Concubines and mistresses were for love; wives for duty. Yet there were cases in human tradition where the favored son of a concubine became the family head.

His mother was not-so-subtly hinting that even if he despised this political match, he could take a demon lover and appoint a full blooded demon as his heir. This information Sesshoumaru tucked into the back of his mind. He had his honor, and he did not want to treat his future wife as his mother had been, but a full demon child may be required of his family in order to maintain power. Some things, he knew, could not be helped.

“Well, my lady mother, since you are set on this match, will I at least get to know why this particular girl? Everyone knows you do not particularly care for humans.”

“That certainly took a lot longer than I expected.” She finally laid down her reports. “I had estimated you would ask almost immediately, and yet, here we are, a week until your nuptials.

The reasons are simple. This woman is a human princess. That's high ranking enough to please the ruling daiyoukai without scandal. However, she is from a minor clan, which is low enough to keep from angering our human allies. Not to mention her father gave her over as a token of peace. We are trying to live alongside humans. This way we seem both merciful and as if we are not over stepping our bounds.”

One of Sesshoumaru’s delicate eyebrows rose, “And her priestess magic? Won't they be angry to lose such a reportedly skilled practitioner?”

His mother grinned, showing delicately pointed canines, “Oh, but we know nothing of the ways of exclusively human magic, now do we?”

———

“Lady Kagome?” A maid spoke gently outside her room at the manor they were graciously allowed to stay in the night before. “Lady Kagome, we must come in and help you dress.”

Yes, Kagome thought, I suppose they must. There's no way I'm getting formal court clothing on by myself.

She tossed back the blankets of her bedding and stood, bidding the maids to come in. Today was the day she met her husband, so she should look her best. Or at the very least, she should not look as though she had been on horseback for 4 days-never mind that she had of course, just that a bride should not go to her new husband looking as though her family could not afford the finer things in life. So, she would be dressed in court kimono, face powdered-she'd refused to blacken her teeth. She didn't care what was fashionable, she would have clean teeth as nature intended-and whatever there was of her hair would be styled to make it look like she didn't regularly chop it off.

Poor Sango, her long time friend, bodyguard, and maid-if only in name- had fussed when Kagome cut her hair off at the shoulder when she was only 13. Didn't Lady Kagome know a woman of her station should have locks flowing to the floor? Only the front should be trimmed and the rest tied back. A lady lived a life of leisure after all. Sango kept her hair as long as she could, without it getting in the way of her training. She held out hope that one of the many young lords would take an interest in a well trained demon hunter.

She swore up and down she had no thoughts about marriage, but Kagome saw the way she stroked the silk of her own many layered wedding kimono. Kagome also knew she held high standards for her future husband, and Sango might joke about wanting a lord, but what she really wanted was a good man. Period. She was willing to die alone as Kagome’s dedicated bodyguard before settling.

Kagome envied her ability to choose her own husband. The fantasy of love being reality had been so close Kagome could have reached out to touch it, and then duty called.

Inuyasha had been furious, as if it were her decision to marry his brother. He acted as if there were any choice in the matter.

“Run away with me!” He'd demanded.

Her resolve to do her duty wavered for more than she liked at the offer. They could be together, without social pressure or guilt, she told herself. Entirely guiltless, except the destruction of her clan. Kagome couldn't forgive betrayal in others, or herself. So, she'd taken her hand out of his, and shook her head at him.

“No. I can't.”

Inuyasha had snarled and swore at her, “What the fuck is wrong with you? I thought I was important? I left Kikyo for you! Now, you're leaving me for my own brother? That's low.”

They continued their fight, with Kagome spitting at him to return to his other priestess love, if he missed her so much. That ended any other argument, and she turned her horse towards home.

Now, Kagome sat only a couple miles away from her future husband's home, waiting to be wrapped like a gift in layers of silk and face paint.

A sacrifice to the demon god, she thought. Throw the daughter away to appease his hunger, and continue your life as if you didn't just sign my death warrant.

She prayed the rumors humans spoke about demons were only half true. If she could have that much respite, and live being ignored, it would be a blessing. Stealing herself, Kagome opened the door and finally allowed her attendants in to help.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please forgive the delay. I have been unwell.


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please see notes at the end!

_“I’ll take the gambling way...”_ **The Joy Formidable**

* * *

 

_This is stupid_.

 

Kagome sat in her many layered kimono as her palanquin made its way towards her future husband. She was stiff, and she was hot. For years she'd been blessed with being from a family of lower rank, even if they were samurai. She avoided the trappings of higher born ladies, with their face paint and their high lacquered shoes, until now. Vaguely she wondered if she would always have to dress this way. She hoped not. How would she ride? How would she shoot?

 

A small voice in the back of her mind told her she wouldn't be able to do those things anymore. Kagome ignored it. Even if it were true, she still would study and there's no way she could do that in a full covering of face paint. Archery and horses may have been a small hobby, but academics were her passion. She knew more about the running of her family's estate and about business than her mother, having needled her father and grandfather into teaching her alongside her brother. She felt justified now in her pestering, as she knew ladies of great houses did much more than just run estates. Kagome would be expected to be intelligent enough to rule over her husband's domain when he went to war with an opposing fiefdom. The question of whether or not a demon would leave his rule in the hands of a mere human? Well, that had yet to be answered, however the general consensus was that Sesshoumaru would never dream of it. Why else would he choose to marry a human, and the daughter of a lower class samurai at that?

 

Kagome found the entire arrangement surreal. Her father hadn't been even a step below a banner man-he had been several steps below, in fact. Marriage was the farthest thing from her mind. She was only nineteen. If she'd had her way, she'd have given herself in service to the gods. She knew she had the abilities. She knew how to use them, if only clumsily, thanks to her village priestess, Kaede. She also knew that with the rise of the feudal lords’ power came poverty and disrespect for the shamanic arts and wisdom she studied. No one could have political influence outside of men, and Miko had far too much. Many of them now wandered without a home. There were tales of some shrine maidens even offering their bodies as a service they sold, among the usual cleansing, fortune telling, and blessings.

 

Her mother would be scandalized by such a life path, and she knew her brother would be dishonored, so she resigned herself to a life of studying lore and helping to run her family's estate. Yet, here Kagome sat, being jostled along to an absurd marriage she still had no idea who suggested or even thought was acceptable.

 

Didn't demons eat humans? Would her husband eat her if she displeased him? What if she couldn't have children-the one expected role of a wife? Demons had harsher consequences and she would be expected to live by their rules. Many women claimed they married demons, and in a way, they were demonic in their treatment of their wives, but she would marry an actual demon, whom human laws couldn't touch.

 

Kagome shuddered and closed her eyes.

 

The palanquin had stopped rocking, and one of her guards spoke to someone she did not recognize, letting them know the party was there to bring her to her groom. The movement started back up again, and Kagome once again thought to herself how stupid this was.

 

Judging by the conversation they had arrived at her future husband's castle, where she would be carried to the door of the receiving hall. She was perfectly capable of walking, and for a few seconds she wondered if the men sent to guard her knew that. They thought her a lady, after all. Kagome wondered if she could convince her betrothed to break things off before tomorrow if she showed she was only a lady in title, and not in actions.

 

“Probably not,” she muttered to herself, “They probably plan to lock me away where I can't be seen anyway, so what good would it do to show I'm not fit to be seen in public?”

 

As she mused on ways she could undo the marriage before her, the entourage had stopped before the receiving hall.

 

She sincerely hoped she could walk after sitting formally for so long. It definitely would have been quicker and easier to not have been carried, but the niceties must be observed.

 

A hand was offered to her to help her exit her palanquin as gracefully as was possible in her many layers and heavy, ornament laden hair.

 

Rising up, Kagome looked at her surroundings. The castle of the demon lord was not a castle at all, she was surprised to see. It was more of a palace, laid out on one level, sprawling over a large lot of land as far as her eye could see.

 

He must be very strong indeed to not have a fortress, she thought.

 

Most human lords lived in residences built to withstand siege-made of stone and several stories high. But here the walls surrounding the complex were simple wood, and only a few soldiers walked about, not even on guard, as far as she could tell.

 

“My lady,” one of her entourage spoke, pulling her from her thoughts.

 

“My apologies,” She said, turning to look at her brother’s personal guard, “I was merely acquainting myself with my new home.”

 

“There will be time for that later! Do not keep his lordship waiting, silly girl!” The squawking voice came from at her feet, and Kagome looked down to see a short green demon dressed in the formal robes of a retainer before her.

 

‘A toad. Lovely,’ She thought to herself.

 

“I am Jaken, milord Sesshoumaru’s most faithful servant. You would do well to listen to me, so that you do not insult my lord’s greatness with your actions. Come, human. It's time to present yourself.”

 

This slimy little slug was going to piss her off. There would be time to squash him later. She supposed even demons forces their retainers to respect their wives. Or maybe they didn't.

 

Dipping her head in the creature’s direction, she turned herself towards the door to the main hall. It was time to find out.

 

* * *

 

The great flurry of motion outside the door told Sesshoumaru that the party bearing his future bride had arrived. Servants and retainers gathered in the great hall, lining up according to their rank, waiting to catch a glimpse of the human woman who would be their new mistress. Prickles of hostility threaded through the waves of curiosity and excitement. He made a mental note to watch carefully for who those radiated most from. Many were not happy with his decision to go along with his mother's wishes and take a human wife.

 

Sesshoumaru wasn't exactly pleased with her choice, either, yet he knew her reasons, and he could not disagree. The humans were organizing. Oda Nobunaga was a name that was not unknown to demons now. His attempt to unite the unruly human provinces under one government was whispered about even among his retainers. As was his dislike of religion and mysticism. Sesshoumaru knew he would need a connection to the human world outside of his traders in order to keep demons on the political playing field.

 

Demons had unified long ago under his father’s rule, and Sesshoumaru planned to keep it that way. Not necessarily under him or his family, but unified and safe from destruction by humankind.

 

His mother had chosen his bride carefully to facilitate this. They disguised their shrewd political move as retribution for a war her father had been dragged into on his lands. Although, judging by his mother's comments on the woman's priestess powers, he was fairly certain she had orchestrated dragging the girl’s family into the game. The Lady of the Western House was no fool, and she knew any human woman dragged into their world on purpose and for politics would need a way to protect herself. Who better to do that than a girl with powers from the gods no longer worshipped? Human rulers would see her as tucked away, and demons would at least fear her if not respect her.

 

As the hall settled down and awaited the escort of the lady into his presence, he heard the whispers of wondering about how a human woman could produce a respectable- read full blooded- heir. He supposed they would be pleased to know he had no intention of bedding this human girl, and producing offspring that would be despised by both species. Once they figured it out, every dog _daiyōkai_ in the country would be flaunting their daughters of child bearing age before him. It would be an absolute circus.

 

He signaled to the retainer closest to the door, and as the demon nodded and slid the entrance aside, he could hear his household draw a collective breath.

 

The girl who walked through the door was not what Sesshoumaru expected. Slender and young, her eyes looked downward as she approached the dais. She walked awkwardly under the weight of her robes and hair, giving away how little she wore full court garb. When she finally reached him, her eyes flashed up, and within the grey, he saw fire before she dipped low in a bow.

 

Jaken stood near her and screeched, echoing in the silence of the hall, “Stupid girl, you will bow before your lord with the proper respect! Kneeling!”

 

The young woman, _Kagome_ , he reminded himself, stiffened immediately. Her eyes flashed as she stood straight, and steadfastly refused to sink to the floor in a deeper bow.

 

‘Good,’ he thought. ‘She won't allow my household to walk on her.’

 

“My lord,” she spat out as if the words were bitter on her tongue. Her hands clasped in front of her, and her gaze directed over his shoulder at the wall, she looked regal, if a little lost in her many layers of kimono. The paint on her face, while hiding the more human qualities of her complexion- skin kissed by the sun, pink lips, instead of deep red- did nothing to disguise the emotions that flit across her face as easily as she breathed.

 

Kagome was displeased with this union, more so than himself. That much was certain. Briefly, it occurred to Sesshoumaru that this had the potential to not be nearly as boring as he originally thought. That revelation was short lived and quickly forgotten in the wake of Jaken beginning to scold is betrothed.

 

“Such insolence! How dare you-”

 

“Jaken.” Sesshoumaru cut him off, “The Lady Kagome is to be my wife. You will speak to her with the same respect with which you speak to me.”

 

The “or I will have you killed” remained unspoken, but the weight of it could be felt through the room.

 

All eyes rested on Sesshoumaru after this declaration. By rebuking his most trusted retainer in public, he made it clear that he would tolerate no one in his household showing any disrespect to his new wife. It was unexpected, judging from the murmurs. It shouldn't have been. Did these fools really believe he would let someone connected to him be tainted by another's actions?

 

“…Yes, milord Sesshoumaru.” Jaken’s face turned sour, and he bowed so low he scraped the floor- not an uneasy feat, due to his small stature. He returned to his upright position, glaring daggers at the lady before him.

 

Sesshoumaru thought he saw Kagome’s mouth quirk into a slight smile at the rebuke, but it disappeared before he could be sure.

 

“Lady Kagome, you are welcome here. I have had rooms prepared for you. As I'm sure you are tired from your journey, I will have the ladies who will attend you show you to them so you may spend the rest of your day in relative comfort.”

 

His words were formal, inflectionless, and ice down the spines of everyone listening. They also prompted the movement of two dog demon ladies who moved discreetly off to the side, waiting to follow their new mistress to her chambers.

 

“Thank you, Lord Sesshoumaru,” her voice still held the hard anger from earlier.

 

“I will send someone when it is time for dinner this evening. It is not necessary to dress as formally as you are now. You may go.”

 

Kagome bristled at the dismissal- a reaction not unnoticed by the demon lord- but having learned to pick her battles at a young age, she merely dipped low once again before retracing her steps out of the receiving hall, followed closely by her new ladies.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I. I chose to make Kagome an academic in this story, as she would have to have shown strong aptitude in the canon storyline in order to continually keep up with her studies and maintain her grades with all the time travel she does. 
> 
> II. Oda Nobunaga was known for his disdain of religion and spirituality during his attempt to unify japan. He did however seem to tolerate Christianity more than the native Buddhism. 
> 
> III. By this point in Japanese history, Miko/shrine maidens were no longer the respected members of their villages they had once been. Before, a Miko had the status of say the Oracle of a temple in Greece. She would have a high standing among the villagers and her fortune telling and even general advice would be listened to closely. A Miko was thought to receive divine guidance from the god who “chose” her to serve them. By this point in time, Shintoism was in decline in favor of patriarchal Buddhism, and shrine maidens were a nuisance and many were made homeless, wandering from village to village offering services. One of these services is said to be prostitution.


	5. Chapter 5

“Read me off a list of the things I used to not like but now I think are OK”

_-Ben Folds Five **(Do It Anyway)**_

 

* * *

 

 

After arriving at the palace of the demon clan she was marrying into, Kagome spent the next twenty four hours making ready for the ceremony. Her white embroidered wedding kimono and headdress had taunted her from its frame. The ladies sent to attend her had oohed and aahed over it, each discussing either what they had once wore as brides, or discussing what they would wear. Apparently demons did not feel the need to present their brides in all white. The women were not seen as a “clean slate” that the clan being married into could paint however they chose in their own colors.

 

Kagome realized very quickly that her learning curve in this new society would be steep. Women had more freedom, it was true, but she would be expected to be a representative of her clan and of humankind. Demons did not absorb women into families. They expected them to be educated and able to make arguments for or against what is in their birth clan’s and their married clan’s best interest. This was a far cry from the quiet, acquiescent wife her mother would expect her to be.

 

One young woman, called Chie, explained these things to her as she removed her court dress and hair ornamentation.

 

Chie’s eyes were yellow, and her ears slightly pointed. When she smiled, Kagome got the distinct impression that her pointed teeth were far sharper than they looked, and they looked incredibly sharp to Kagome’s human eyes. Her hair was auburn, the same color as the leaves on the trees in autumn. A cat demon, she told her new human mistress. Her father thought it a great honor to send his middle daughter to serve the bride of the Lord Sesshoumaru. Chie agreed.

 

Slyly, the woman had leaned in and whispered that she did not mind because dog demons were handsome. Some were downright beautiful. She hoped to find a husband before her father could marry her off to one of his ancient retainers.

 

Kagome had to agree that her soon to be husband's clan leaned towards beauty. When she saw her intended, she had been struck by his delicate features. Long lashes lined his eyes, and his lips and nose could be called dainty. Two markings of some sort sat on his cheeks, symmetrical to one another. She almost wondered why this powerful demon was not already wed. She definitely wondered why he was wedding a human. He could have his pick of women, she was sure, even without his exalted position.

 

Her musings came to an end when the time to attend her first meal among her new family arrived. The next morning she would drink sake, recite vows, and make an offering with her new husband- demons practiced Shinto, who knew- and that would begin her new life in a world she was not made for.

* * *

 

The wedding went off without a hitch. Kagome could have cheered, but did not, no matter how great the urge was. Her hands had been shaking the entire ceremony. She wondered if her husband, now seated beside her at the feast, had noticed. He seemed observant, and she knew he probably noticed she was scared stiff and thought it better not to mention it.

 

Now, he kept glancing at her out of the corner of his eye, while his retainers lined up to pour sake for him whenever his cup appeared even the slightest bit empty. It was unnerving. She wanted to snap at him, to tell him that he might have a portrait made if he wanted to look that often. Instead, Kagome sat and smiled prettily at him whenever she caught him looking her way. There would be plenty of time to rip him to shreds for his creepy ways later on in their marriage.

 

What was he thinking? Probably not anything important, if he were like any other man. Their wedding night would be upon them shortly. The thought of him touching her made her skin crawl, and she plastered another smile on to hide the wave of disgust at having to allow this man to do as he pleased whether she wished it or not.

 

That aspect of marriage turned her off of the institution even more than her role as chattel to breed for future heirs. The only hope she had was that demons were slightly more civil than humans and did not hold with rape, even of their own wives. Could she dare hope for that? It seemed possible. This great lord of the West she married seemed to have united the demons under himself, which is something humankind had yet to accomplish. Kagome supposed she would find out later, no matter how much she didn’t want to.

 

* * *

 

Sesshoumaru, the aforementioned Lord of the West, was amused by his new bride. Her facial expressions showed every single thing she thought. So far he had watched her emotions range from fear to elation to disgust to determination. That was all merely in the course of the last fifteen minutes. He rarely felt anything strong enough that he needed to express it, and usually the emotion he ended up showing was anger or boredom. Those of course were shown by the ending of someone's life. Usually it was those who had displeased him. Rarely was it the messenger of bad news. Rarely.

 

Her eyes were now glittering with resolve about an unknown decision she had made. While he was fairly certain this decision involved him, he was not overly worried what her thought process boded. She was merely human, after all. Her rumored priestess magic to a demon as strong as he would be a small annoyance, a tickle on his aura if she were to use them.

 

While the thought comforted him, there was the suspicion that her thoughts did not edge towards violence- mostly. He saw the way she looked towards Jaken. He would enjoy watching her crush him like the bug he was, loyalty be damned. Instead, Sesshoumaru felt her magic crackle around him in an almost resigned way. He hoped sincerely this did not mean she would give in to everyone and everything in his palace. The firecracker he had glimpsed behind her formal dress would be vital to her survival in a world where women were just as violent and unpredictable as the men.

 

(Speaking of violent and unpredictable, where was his damnable brother at? He would not complain if Inuyasha had decided to snub him on his wedding day, but he also knew the half breed brat made every effort to delight in his misfortune, whatever it may be. Not being here for an arranged marriage to a human? It was absolutely out of the question. Well, no matter. As long as he was not causing embarrassment to the clan with his presence in public, Sesshoumaru did not care.)

 

Standing, and causing the room to fall silent around him, he held out his long, slender-fingered hand to the tiny human girl seated next to him. She took it without hesitation, and with a slight flash of annoyance in her gaze, and rose next to him. Once again, pleasure at her high spirit rushed through him, same as it had the few days before when officially meeting. This was no doormat to be used and thrown out. She would give as good as she got. He could feel it course through her hand into his.

 

If that is the case, he mused, what in the hells was that snap of resignation he had felt?

 

Did he care enough about this frail little human woman to ask? Maybe. That answer surprised him. Something deep in his mind tugged with interest. It felt instinctual, like when he changed form and ran full speed through the woods.

 

Maybe this marriage would be more than show.

 

“We will retire. We thank you all for your presence on this day.”

 

The guests of their wedding celebration dipped low before them, as they made their escape to the private rooms deeper in the palace. He could feel her become tense once again. Her energy sparked in a way that he found amusing again. This was her disgust earlier? That he would be seen taking her “to bed”? Her moment of resolve became apparent.

 

“You will be pleased to know I do not plan to bed you.”

 

She halted, as did he, turning to find a suspicious expression on her face, “Why? So you can divorce me quicker? And stop reading my thoughts. Or my scent. Or whatever it is you demons can do.”

 

The words dripped with venom.

 

“No, little priestess-yes, I know what you are- I would not divorce you. That would bring shame and dishonor not only to you, but to my clan. You may have heard many things about me, but above all else I will observe honor.”

 

He turned, offering his arm, and they began walking again, “Also I cannot read your mind, or read your scent. Mostly. If you were terrified I could detect it, but I get the feeling that you are not terrified very often.”

 

“You're correct in your assumptions, my lord. So. Why.”

 

It was a demand. His eyebrow raised, and had Kagome not been looking she would not have known he could express anything beyond stoic indifference.

 

“Because, my lady wife, I do not think a hanyou can carry on my rule. Not without getting himself killed or having so little respect that the clans become unruly. Also. There is no pleasure in bedding an unwilling mate.”

 

They had arrived at her rooms.

 

“I am not unwilling, my lord husband. I am your honored wife, and would be pleased to submit to your pleasure.”

 

Her smile could have sliced through bone, it was so thin and sharp.

 

“So you say, Lady Kagome. However, one thing us demons can do that most humans cannot is read energy flow. Yours very clearly says, “Do not touch me.” So, let us get some matters straight before you begin your new life here. I do not want a liar for a wife, and I do not want a wilting flower. Neither quality will allow you to live very long at my court. You should work on quashing whatever submissive human qualities your silly mother bred into you if you want to live. Good night, honorable wife.”

 

He left her standing in her doorway, blinking at him with her giant eyes. Somehow, he was going to regret telling her that. He just did not know if she would make him regret it or one of his court would. She felt like trouble. His money was on his new wife.


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Gooooin to the chapel and we’re goooonna get ma-a-arried~

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> HI YES HELLO I am alive and kicking and my New Years resolution is to update my fics so here you go! This chapter was like pulling teeth so I’m sorry but it sucks.

“As the sad-eyed woman spoke ‘We missed our chance’”  **Agnes Obel** _Dorian_

—————

Kagome could only blink as her husband practically floated in his grace down the walkway outside of her rooms. He had read right through her facade and she was not quite sure how she felt about that. Certainly she felt a bit astonished, but mostly she felt irritated. How could he not sleep with her on their wedding night? Then he had the nerve to tell her their marriage would stand, consummation or no. There was no trusting this. Everything she had heard about demons told her this was a ploy to get rid of the unwanted human wife.

 

This aligned with telling her to squash her submissive actions, hammered into her from birth by humankind.

 

Her mother was not a weak woman, but Kagome knew she did not show her hand until she was sure she could win. Her opinion was always quietly stated with facts to back it up, in a manner that seemed to suggest rather than demand. Kagome never mastered this art. To her, it was unthinkable to need to hide her true intentions just because it was not a woman's place to make decisions. Her father agreed, and quietly rolled his eyes whenever his wife phrased her opinions as if they were lesser than his. He then took her opinions seriously, sometimes abandoning an plan he had come up with on his own in favor of one her mother concocted.

 

Yet, Kagome knew that in other families, especially the families of retainers to daimyo, a woman had no opinion. A woman barely even had status and that was only if she bore a son to carry on the family name. Concubines were typical and the love that shone in her parents eyes when they saw each other was a rare thing. Armed with this information, Kagome could only deduce that her new husband wished for her to trip up in some way. Demons tended to find humans unsightly, and the thought of spending time in the same room as one made lips curl and noses wrinkle in disgust.If the new bride made herself out to be an unsuitable wife, and if the marriage was not consummated, it would be easy to get rid of her. If not by divorce then by death.

 

On the other hand, demons were weird. He could have meant what he said. Sesshoumaru really could want her to toughen up and speak her mind. Their social dynamics differed greatly from that of humans and women seemed to hold more power here. Kagome could only attribute this to the fact that the women could kill just as easily as the men could. When you possessed poison and magic and giant fangs, you could hold whatever power you wished.

 

It dawned on her then: Kagome also possessed magic. Priestess magic. Demons were incredibly weak to the purifying powers of miko, despite the decline in status and number of the shrine maidens throughout Japan. Miko could still destroy minor demons with a single arrow doused in their aura, and seal larger demons away.

 

She could use this to her advantage. Her husband seemed to be intelligent. If Kagome were to confront him, at least about the lack of consummation of their union, then perhaps she could get some answers if he questions were backed by magic. He could also kill her, the nagging part of her brain that seemed to be full of responsibility reminded her. He did not become the leader of demonkind without his own power, and she knew his was much more than just simple shrine tricks.

 

She suffered less than a second of indecisiveness after she thought of this plan and its consequences. She needed answers. To start with, she wanted to test his words. Could she really speak her mind? Could she be more than a porcelain doll on display for the benefit of a human-demon union to stop some of the destruction that always seemed to arise between their races?

 

Secondly, Kagome was more than a little bit offended that her husband had no plans to touch her as his wife. Strangely, Kagome would have been on board with this plan had he not made it sound like the alternative was beneath him. She was not ugly, and she definitely bathed regularly-far more regularly than most other humans to be sure. Once again, if his words held truth and he did not want a submissive wife, then she would need to make him understand that she would not be his wife only on paper. She meant to take her duties and her station seriously. He did not even need to sleep with her. She only wanted him to know that if she was forced to exist in this role, she would perform it admirably. She would perform every part of it.

 

Finally, even if he did not mean anything he had just told Kagome, she knew that throwing her personality in Sesshoumaru’s face now would make getting out of this hell easier if it did come down to it. They would both get what they wanted if that was his true intention. The thought made her almost giddy.

 

That settled it, then.

 

Kagome lifted the hem of her kimono, turned to face the door and took a deep, calming breath. She would need her nerves to be made of pure steel in order to confront her husband on their wedding night. Opening the sliding door onto the walkway, she stepped outside and made her way deeper into the castle. The Lord’s rooms would be deep inside, protected against siege and invasion by a labyrinth of walkways and other buildings.

 

Her steps were determined and sure. This would be a battle and she was planning to win it.

 

—————

 

Sesshoumaru had left his bride in her rooms, staring after him with a look he could not decipher. He sincerely hoped his words took root, because there was no chance of anyone as meek as she pretended to be surviving in this world. How Lady Kagome managed to fool anyone into thinking her a subdued, soft spoken woman was beyond him. Perhaps some humans were just stupid. Not her, though. He could feel her emotions crackle off of her in arcs and waves as her brain processed everything before her.

 

He could feel the suspicion on her as he left the room. It was so heavy he it engulfed him practically the entire way into his chambers.

 

What was it like, he mused, to feel everything so deeply?

 

He felt, of course. Most sentient creatures did, and there were days he cursed himself for it. Emotions got in the way, and for this reason he had spent his childhood learning to pack his away in the back of his heart. His face barely registered any flicker of thought anymore. Mother marked it under damage due to his father taking a human concubine. Sesshoumaru would not go so far as to call that the catalyst, but it certainly had not helped matters. Loving a human and abandoning your son and heir because she spawned a half-breed? Then dying for her? Ridiculous.

 

“Speaking of the half-breed…” He muttered and slid open his door. Inuyasha sat seething in the middle of his floor, looking fit to murder.

 

“Brother,” Sesshoumaru inclined his head towards his younger sibling and stepped inside, closing the door behind him. Perhaps it was the look of rage on Inuyasha’s face that clued him in, but he felt like this would be a very loud conversation and one that might take more than a little while. Perhaps it would even turn violent, and there was no reason to startle the maids by letting it spill out into the walkway and the garden.

 

“What do you want, Brother?” He asked as if finding his half-sibling in his room on his wedding night were nothing but a minor annoyance and not the storm he knew was brewing. Judging by the look on his unwanted sibling’s face he knew the answer. He knew as soon as he pieces together his new bride with her emotions.

 

“How could you. You take everything.” InuYasha growled.

 

Sesshoumaru’s eyebrow raised delicately, “Do I? Please. Enlighten me.”

 

Somehow Sesshoumaru knew this was not about his inheritance of the clan leadership. He supposed it could be about Father leaving him the majority of the family fortune and heirlooms, but he could say with almost complete certainty InuYasha was not that shallow. No. This was about something else, and for once in his very long life, Sesshoumaru had no idea what he had done to his half-brother. He tried to keep track of causing the half breed various troubles. It amused him greatly.

 

“The inheritance. The love of Father’s people. My bride,” his list of transgressions were hissed through clinched teeth, “You hate humans!”

 

There was a very long silence in which Sesshoumaru processed InuYasha’s words. The first two accusations were obviously expected. The last one, however was entirely new information.

 

He made sure the woman had no suitors before offering marriage as a peaceful solution to a family dragged into a war they did not wish to fight. Taking the coveted potential bride of the many young human lords who existed would be extremely disadvantageous considering the marriage was to foster good will amongst humans and demons. It would be seen as encroaching on claimed territory, if he were to put it in demon terms. So, the question was, how did his spies miss that the girl had been betrothed to his brother? When had she become betrothed to him? Why? All these questions and more ran through his brain at lightning speed.

 

Finally Sesshoumaru settled on a response, and for once he made sure the way he spoke to his brother was diplomatic. InuYasha was a ticking time bomb when it came to his explosive temper.

 

“I was assured that the lady was free to marry by several sources, Brother.”

 

“Bullshit! You knew she was mine, and you took her because of that!”

 

Sesshoumaru would not deny that if he knew the woman had been pursued by InuYasha he may have pressed harder for the suit just to watch the younger squirm under the pressure. Tormenting this thorn in his side was a great joy for him in his endless days of council meetings and negotiations. If the woman had shown any indication that she felt affection for the half breed though he would have most likely ended things. The lady of the Western clans must be impeccable in all things, including reputation, and cavorting with half demon bastards was generally a stain upon one's social record.

 

“Trust me, Brother, had I known she was yours I would have pursued her much earlier.”

 

There really was no way to help it. Sesshoumaru saw the sleeping dragon, and he poked it with a stick. He had been walloped many times by his Father for doing similar things while growing up. His mother? He would never let her catch him doing something so childish.

 

Unfortunately, the metaphorical sleeping dragon tended to wake up, and to come after him with teeth and claws, which is precisely what happened this time. InuYasha had launched himself across the room with his claws aimed at Sesshoumaru's face.

 

Usually, Sesshoumaru would snort with derision at such a display, and then give as good as he got. InuYasha was less refined than he was when it came to combat. He had not had Sesshoumaru's years of tutelage under decorated generals in various martial arts. InuYasha made up for this in sheer brute strength, but brute strength required stamina. Defeating him was merely a matter of waiting until InuYasha had exhausted his supply of energy, and then chasing him from the castle with his tail between his legs.

 

This time, however there was the unfortunate noise Sesshoumaru's heightened hearing caught outside the door behind him, and he had not heard it until he stepped aside to avoid the swing. As he stepped, the door slid open, and revealed his new bride wearing a look that could only be described as determinedly angry. This lasted for less than a fraction of a second, and turned to fear as InuYasha barreled into her and took her skidding with him across the courtyard.


End file.
